[The Day We Go to Temple] 08. Buddhist Customs in Chilseok ()

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Buddhist Customs in Chilseok

Chilseok and the
Beliefs of Chilseok

Chilseok,
on the 7th day of the seventh month, is noted for its double “Lucky
Seven.” The number seven is known as lucky not just in the west, but also in
the east. As ancient people believed that the beings of the sky could control
the fates of humans, they began to develop faith toward Bukdu Chilseong, the seven stars of the north; that is, the Big
Dipper, because they could be seen in the sky all year round. As a result, they
came to symbolize heaven in general. Additionally, in the west, it was believed
that there were seven heavenly bodies in the sky: the Sun, Moon, Mercury,
Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Thus, they became the seven days of a week. As
Yang, Yin, and the five elements represent the origins of all things in the
universe, their names came to be used respectively as Sunday, Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. In the east, whenever double odd
numbers appeared, i.e. the 1st day of the first month, the 3rd
day of the third month, the 5th day of the fifth month, the 7th
day of the seventh month, and the 9th day of the ninth month, the
positive energy of yang was at its fullest. So, those days have been considered
very lucky, so much so that they were designated as holidays. Among these lucky
days, the 7th day of the seventh month was considered worthy enough
to represent Bukdu Chilseong,

The
belief in Bukdu Chilseong,
or
the Big Dipper, has its roots in Taoism, which believes that the stars control
the fortune and life of humans. As a result, the system of worshiping of the
seven gods, or Cheilseong of Taoism,
developed. Thus, they came to be important objects of prayers for longevity and
good fortune. In Chinese mythology, there is a story of a boy born with a short
life expectancy, but he was able to extend his life by appealing to Bukdu Chilseong. He went to visit a
place where the North Star and the South Star played a game of Baduk, or Go, and his wish was granted.

As the
belief in the holiness of the number ‘seven’ began with the belief in the
constellation and celestial bodies, the day of ‘double sevens’ also originates
with the love story between the two stars of Altair and Vega. Actually, these
two stars, separated by the Milky Way, appear to be quite close on Chilseok. Thus, the creative story was
told of two lovers – Gyeonwu (Altair)
and Jiknyeo (Vega). The pair could
only meet once a year, as punishment for incurring the wrath of Jiknyeo (Vega)’s father, the Jade
Emperor.

One
interesting fact is that the depiction of Gyeonwu and
Jiknyeo, along with the Milky
Way in the middle, was already carved on the ceiling of an ancient tomb by the
time of the Goguryeo Dynasty (37 B.C.–668 C.E.) in 408 C.E. In the mural of
Deokheung-ri Tomb, one scene appears to depict the farewell of Gyeonwu and Jiknyeo on the evening of Chilseok.
The portrayal of Jiknyeo, looking sorrowfully
towards the back of her love, Gyeonwu,
herding cows, is terribly heart-breaking. In the history of Goryeo Dynasty,
records state that the 33rd King of Gongmin (1330-1974) along with
his wife, Princess Noguk, held a ceremony for Gyeonwu and Jiknyeo on
the day of Chilseok, which implies
that Chilseok was celebrated both by
the royal court and the common people.

The tale of Gyeonwu and Jiknyeo originated
from the early history of China. As time passed by, the story became more
elaborate and expanded, and the customs of Chilseok have also become more
abundant. When it rained on the day of Chilseok,
the people regarded the raindrops as the lovers’ tears, and the legend of a
bridge made of magpies developed. At first, the bridge came to emerge as a
giant magpie called Joryeungjak, but later this become hundreds and thousands
of magpies creating the famous bridge of Ojakgyo, for the lovers to cross once
a year. The humorous and surprising detail was added, that as they walked on
the magpies’ heads, the birds became bald.

Because
of this, another custom emerged, with commoners giving food to magpies on the
day of Chilseok. This was the reward
given to magpies for their sacrifice, going bald while making a bridge to help
the couple meet. The custom of giving food to magpies was not exclusive;
rather, it was expanded to giving food to all hungry birds. This has continued
as the tradition of leaving a few fruits on the trees at the end of a harvest.
The story of Gyeonwu and Jiknyeo was also portrayed as the
meeting of a cowherder and a weaver; thus, the custom of Geolgyo of Chilseok also
became popular. This was the wish to increase one’s skills in weaving and
needlework, as women presented the offering of a table set with their handmade
cloth and fruits.

The
worshipping of the seven gods on Chilseok
Day was a tradition kept by commoners. Though Bukdu
Chilseong or
the Big Dipper, and Gyeonwu, or
Altair and Jiknyeo, or Vega, the main
characters of Chilseok are different,
they are brought together by becoming the object of ceremonies on the 7thday of the seventh month. As the offering was performed for the
stars of Gyeonwu and Jiknyeo during the Chilseok Ceremony, it was only proper to pay tribute to Bukdu Chilseong, the head of all stars,
as well as to set the 7thday
of the seventh month as the date to worship the seven gods.
Though the origin of Chilseok started
out with Gyeonwu and Jiknyeo, it makes perfect sense that the
ceremony of Chilseok was also
considered a ritual of Chilseong.

Accordingly,
‘the meeting of Gyeonwu and Jiknyeo on Chilseok’ and ‘the wish for Gija,
or a boy, and Subok, or longevity, on
Chilseong’ were naturally combined,
so that the day also symbolizes the wish for a good union between a man and a
woman. Additionally, the seven gods have become the granters of these wishes in
their divine existence. Though the customs of Chilseok among commoners have disappeared, the Chilseok offering on Chilseok
Day has continued. It has now expanded to become the Chilseok Dharma Ceremony, where singles are encouraged to come
seeking suitable mates. This tradition is practiced instead of Valentine’s Day,
a custom of unknown origins. Buddhism has taken the leading role not only in
the preservation of traditional culture, but also in the practice of
reinterpreting its traditions to reflect modern themes.

Buddhist Adaptation of Chilseok
Beliefs

On the day of Chilseok,
Buddhists visit temples to present their offerings. Chilseong; that is, Chilwonseonggun,
the Seven Sages of Tathagata, are best known for granting wishes for longevity.
They are enshrined in an altar of a dharma hall, or Chilseong-jak, the Seven Star Shrine. Along with the mountain god, Chilseong are members of the 104 divine
guardians of Dharma, but as they are important objects of worship among the
people, they are enshrined separately.

Chilseong-jak, the Seven Star Shrine, is
unique to Korean temples. The building of these shrines began in the middle of
the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897), and they have now taken up residence in most
temples. However, the shrine was not established simply to enshrine the Taoist Bukdu Chilseong, or Big Dipper, but also
the Seven Sages of Tathagata, who adapted
Buddhism, as well as the seven gods of Taoism. In other words, the wishes of
the people were combined with the seven gods, which resulted in the creation of
the Seven Sages of Tathagata. Thus, we can see that
each of the seven stars of Bukdu
Chilseong was given the role of teacher as Tathagata.

When
looking at the paintings in the Chilseongjak Shrine, Chiseonggwang Tathagata is placed in the middle, Ilgwangbosal, the bodhisattva of the
Sunlight, and Weolgwangbosal, the
bodhisattva of the Moonlight, are seen to the immediate left and right; and Chil Tathagata and Chilseongwongun are set next to these.

In the
system of Chilseong belief in Taoism,
the North Star is referred to as Jamidaeje
and is responsible for all good fortune and virtue. Below are the gods of Sun
and Moon, who gave each star a name along with its power. To be specific, Tamnang seonggun has the power of giving
good fortune to descendants; Geomun
seonggun is for keeping clear of obstacles and struggles; Nokjon seonggun is for getting rid of
karmic obstacles; Mungok seonggun is
for obtaining all wishes; Yeomjeong
seonggun is for removing a hundred hindrances; Mugok seonggun is for attaining good fortune and virtue; and Pagun seonggun is for longevity.

In
Buddhism, Chiseonggwang Tathagata
signifies the North Star being enshrined and Ilgwangbosal, the bodhisattva of the Sunlight, as well as Weolgwangbosal, the bodhisattva of the
Moonlight, are kept as his attendants on the right and left. The seven sages,
regarded as the seven Tathagata, are each given a role in their respective
world. Likewise, placing the North Star at the highest point, Taoism has
referred to him as Jamidaeje, the
leader of all stars, and Buddhism has adopted him as Chiseonggwang Tathagata. The seven gods of Chilseongwongun or Chilseong Tathagata have been given the role of
judging the fortunes of humans, and the North Star symbolically watches over us
all.

The
North Star is called King Jonseong,
and is the king of the stars. This is where the king of the heavenly bodies
resides. In India, the North Star has become a demigod called Myogyeon
bodhisattva or Myoken-bosatsu. He is seen as the leading figure of the Big
Dipper. As it is the brightest, it is called Chiseonggwang, which probably means
that wherever sentient beings seek help, he will light up the sky with his
bright eyes and his radiance will beam in all directions.

Meanwhile, Venerable Ilhang of China’s Tang Dynasty
(618-907) was concerned about possible conflicts between Buddhism and Taoism because
of the Chilseong belief. For this reason, he decided to adapt it based on the belief
of the Medicine Buddha. Consequently, the seven Buddhas have been renamed
according the Medicine Buddha doctrine, following The Seven Medicine Buddha Sutra.

In Byeolhoesimgok,
the seven gods assumed the following roles:

By whose virtue have you come to this world?

By the deeds of Sakyamuni Buddha,

Pray before your father’ bones.

Pray for flesh before your mother.

Pray for good fortune before the King of Devas.

At last, you are born.

People
believed that one was born with the goodness of Sakyamuni Buddha’s good deeds
through their parents’ bodies, acquiring their lifespan from the seven gods
while asking for good fortune from the King of Devas. The seven gods, who were
in charge of birth and fate, were regarded with the same reverence given to
Sakyamuni Buddha and the King of Devas. This is how we can infer that the Chilseok belief was rooted deeply in the
people’s hearts.

* Please note that this writing is an excerpt from the book, "The Day We Go to Temple" and is contained in the autumn 2016 edition of the Lotus Lantern magazine under Buddhist Culture Section on page 23~29.